


sunkissed

by 26stars



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: "I can't choose"+ "Why not both?", Al's Rarepair Madness 2019, Bi Bobbi Morse, Bi Daisy Johnson, Clueless (it would seem) Jemma Simmons, Coming Out, F/F, F/F/F, Mutual Pining, Polyamory, Pre-Poly, Shield-Free AU, Summer Fling, aosficnet Smut Week 2019, beach town au, idk how to tag poly stuff properly so let me know if I missed something, personal acceptance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2020-09-06 19:50:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20297029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/26stars/pseuds/26stars
Summary: Original concept/prompt from Al's Rarepair Madness:"Bobbi Morse spends her summers away from college on a beach in the middle of nowhere, because her parents think internships are overrated and family time is more important. She’d be more inclined to agree if her parents actually spent time with her, but that’s neither here nor there. Bobbi spends all of her time on the beach, and begins to notice two girls hanging around who she’s never seen before. At a bonfire night she learns their names are Jemma and Daisy – and they both like girls. Summer romance blooms between the three, and all Bobbi can think through the sunkissed days and moonlit nights is that she never wants it to end."Yep, it's gonna be that :)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lazyfish](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lazyfish/gifts).

> Al, thank you so much for letting me pick this one up! I've been wanting to write some Skimmorse for forever and this was just the springboard I needed.
> 
> I'm posting this one today to kick off the aosficnet's Smut Week Challenge--there won't be much in the way of smut, but there WILL be Pining, which is one of the prompts for day 1. Hope you enjoy!

Bobbi Morse hasn’t had shoes on her feet for nearly three weeks at this point, and an early morning run is no reason to break that streak. The sun has not quite crept up over the east slope that shields her part of the beach from a good view of the sunrise, but the sky has already lightened to a perfect shade of cloudless blue. The tide is on its way out and the beach is mostly deserted except for other runners at this hour, and Bobbi keeps her trail to the wet-enough-to-be-solid-but-dry-enough-not-to-squish strip of sand running alongside the water, deviating only for other runners or the overambitious wave.

It’s her third straight week at the beach with her family, and workouts are not the only thing she’s been doing alone. Though her parents may preach that “family time is important and internships are overrated,” the three of them have barely spent any time at all in the same room since arriving at their family’s beach house, ostensibly for the whole summer. Bobbi is ninety-five percent sure that they just want her under observation and away from her friends, the friends that her mother seems convinced have been “a bad influence” (because even her mother knows it’s 2019 and you can’t say “That girl who turned you gay”…).

Well, whatever. Free room, board, and beach time is a small price to pay to stay in her parents’ good graces—they could have just shipped her off to college early like they were threatening to (not that she would have minded that much either). The fling with the girl (the one her parents had found out about) hadn’t lasted—they’d actually split up on their own terms before her parents tried to make her do it. Unfortunately, being here presents its own challenge of making new friends. Most of the other part-time residents of this beach town are people one or both of her parents know, and few places (besides the over-21 establishments) are free of gossiping elders. Bobbi knows there are plenty of people her age around, but she’s only been able to connect with a couple of old friends passing through town every few days—ironically, most of them are doing internships.

Bobbi has made the hairpin turn at the dock that is her run’s midpoint and is halfway back to the beach house when she feels a terrifying stab of pain shoot up from her left foot. Her knee buckles immediately, a full-body flinch drawing up her foot to protect the injury but causing her to quickly lose her balance and spill down onto the wet sand. Sucking in a breath through her teeth, Bobbi cautiously folds in her leg and pulls her foot onto her lap. Blood is already covering the ball of her foot, but it appears to be coming from one of her toes. She’s contemplating her options (_go rinse it off in the ocean and then wait ‘til it clots or just try to hop the rest of the way home_?) when a worried voice a few feet behind her calls,

“Hey sister, you need some help?”

Bobbi looks over her shoulder and sees a pair of young women headed her way, one in a sunhat, one in a baseball cap, both bearing worried expressions. She doesn’t recognize either of them, so she shakes her head.

“Just a cut, I think,” Bobbi calls back, waving them off. “I’m all right.”

Unfortunately, her hand is already covered with blood, and this effectively undermines her words.

“Yeah, I’m sure you are,” the darker-haired girl says, now close enough for Bobbi to see that she’s got impressively defined muscles for a girl her size. “What happened?”

“Probably a seashell,” Bobbi answers as the women flank her and kneel in the sand.

“Let’s rinse it off,” the other girl says with a British accent, pulling her messenger-style purse in front of herself and extracting a bottle of water. “Hopefully it’s not as bad as it looks.”

Bobbi moves her foot off her lap and holds still while the girl pours clean water over it until the source of the bleeding becomes visible. It _is_ her toe, she sees once the carnage is rinsed away—a straight slice across the soft skin between the pad of her toe and the ball of her foot.

“Well, all that blood for such a little cut,” the girl says, diving into her bag again. “I’m sure we can take care of that with what I’ve got with me…”

“Are you a nurse or something?” Bobbi quips as the British girl produces a travel-sized first aid kit.

“Nah, she just excels at preparation,” the darker-haired girl says with a flash of a proud smile. “And her name is Jemma.”

“I’m Bobbi,” she says, holding still and trying not to flinch as the aforementioned Jemma dabs at the cut with an alcohol pad.

“And I’m Daisy,” the third girl answers. “But you have to tell me if Bobbi’s short for Robert.” She has a great smile, and Bobbi tries to offer one back.

“Unfortunately, it’s worse—in my case it’s short for Barbara.”

“I think Barbara’s a lovely name,” Jemma says, smiling shyly up at her as she finishes bandaging her toe.

“You and my parents,” Bobbi shrugs. “But thanks.”

The two women help her to her feet, and Bobbi rocks back onto her heel on the injured foot to keep the bandage out of the sand. Jemma fusses over her, putting a steadying hand on her elbow.

“Best not to walk on it for a bit, let it clot,” she says. “Here, let us help you.”

“Oh, it’s fine, really,” Bobbi tries to protest, but Daisy hangs one of Bobbi’s arms over her shoulders and steers her by the hip towards the nearest beachfront shop—a bakery/café. “Perfect excuse for you to hang out with us while we get what we came out for—caffeine.”

Ten minutes later, the three of them have secured a table on the deck with their drinks. Bobbi has her foot propped on a spare chair, and Daisy has bought her a fresh-squeezed orange juice despite Bobbi’s insistence that she shouldn’t.

“Well, seeing as it will be hard for you to hop on one foot and balance a drink at the same time, this just means you’ll have to stay off your foot for a few minutes,” the British girl says, removing the lid from her hot drink (tea with milk, Bobbi guesses) in order to sip it properly.

“And get to know us—we’re new in town and you’re the first girl our age we’ve talked to in _days_,” Daisy adds around her black double-shot.

“Are you just visiting?” Bobbi asks, sipping the juice.

“Well, it’s Jem’s first time, but my parents like to come out here once a year if they can swing it,” Daisy says. “I didn’t have to beg too hard for them to bring Jemma along though—I think they know I’m getting too old to hang out with just them for two straight weeks.”

_They’re only here for two weeks…_

“We just got in last night,” Jemma says, adjusting her sunhat and smiling. “Daisy was about to take me on a tour of the beach and boardwalk, and that’s when we saw you.”

“My parents’ house is just over there,” Daisy adds, pointing up the road in the direction Bobbi had run in from (an action that causes her arms to flex gorgeously, Bobbi can’t help but notice).

“My parents have a place down that way.” Bobbi jerks her thumb in the opposite direction.

“You here all summer?” Daisy asks, and Bobbi shrugs.

“Unless my parents decide they’ve had enough of me and send me off to college early.”

“Oh did you just graduate? Me too!” Daisy says. “Where are you headed in the fall?”

“UCLA, unless something changes. What about you?”

She directs the question towards both Jemma and Daisy, but they exchange a knowing look.

“This genius here is already working on her second PhD,” Daisy starts, but Jemma swats her shoulder.

“You promised you weren’t going to wave that flag around here,” she mutters, blushing beneath her sunhat. “What part of ‘normal American summer on the beach’ did you not understand?”

“I’m bragging on you, Jem,” Daisy says defensively but with a smile. “Now brag on me and tell Bobbi what we’re both doing in the fall.”

“Do you seriously have a PhD already?” Bobbi gapes. “How old are you?”

“Eighteen, thank you very much,” the British girl says. “Daisy and I will both be going to the Academy in the fall. I’ve already been there a year, but Daisy’s parents are faculty, and that’s how she and I met. My parents are back in England, so Daisy’s place has been my second home since I started school there.”

“Which was when, when you were fourteen?” Bobbi jokes, and Daisy smiles proudly.

“Fifteen,” she corrects for Jemma.

There’s an awkward pause, and Bobbi sips more of her juice trying to find a way to bring them out of it.

“I’m glad I’m meeting you,” she eventually says, causing them both to give her surprised looks. “I’ve been spending a lot of time alone lately, and it’s hard to find people my age around here. Would you guys want to hang out again later?”

Daisy’s eyes twinkle beneath her baseball cap. “Absolutely.”

~

They end up walking her all the way home, partly out of concern for her foot but also, Daisy says, so she can see where her house is and then pick a good midpoint on the beach to meet up at later.

“What do your parents do?” Daisy asks lightly as Bobbi shows them in through the deck door, and Bobbi rolls her eyes where the girls can’t see.

“My dad’s in energy. The lucrative kind.” She makes sure to say it with a tone that communicates how she feels about it.

“My current PhD is over alternative energy!” Jemma exclaims with unexpected excitement. “Maybe I could ask him—”

“Jem, we promised no PhD talk during daylight hours,” Daisy reminds her as they follow Bobbi through the living area towards the kitchen, where she pours them each a glass of cold water. She hears footsteps on the stairs and looks up just as her mother rounds a corner into the kitchen.

“Barbara! And guests! What a surprise!”

“Mom, this is Daisy and Jemma,” Bobbi says quickly. “We just met out on the beach.”

“Lovely to meet you both,” Bobbi’s mother says, shaking their hands gently. “Are you all regulars here too?”

“My parents keep a little place over near the playground,” Daisy says, masterfully reading the game Bobbi’s mother is playing. “We’re only here a couple of weeks.”

“What are their names? I didn’t catch your last name?

“Daisy Johnson,” she says, lifting her chin. “But my dad’s last name is Coulson and my mom’s last name is May.”

There is a beat of silence as, Bobbi assumes, her mother scrolls through her mental rolodex of families in the beach town to see whether she’s heard of this one, and likely also what the unconventional naming system should lead her to believe about it.

“And what about you, Jemma?” her mother eventually says, turning towards the girl dressed more appropriately for the room.

“I’m here with Daisy,” she says simply, though her eyes flick nervously towards Bobbi.

After a pause, Bobbi takes the lead again.

“So, you two want to meet at the beach later?”

Daisy nods eagerly. “How about in the middle around Big Mack’s? That area’s not usually too crowded.”

“Cool. I’ll meet you there around ten thirty, before it gets too hot?”

“Sounds good.” Daisy slips a hand around Jemma’s arm and tugs her towards the door. “We can show ourselves out. Nice to meet you Mrs.…”

“Morse,” Bobbi’s mother prompts, not moving from where she stands, smiling stiffly. “Nice to meet you both as well.

Both Bobbi and her mother wait until they hear the sound of the front door closing before her mom rounds on her.

“I’m glad to see you are making friends, but a warning about guests would have been nice.”

“They weren’t planning to stay—I was just showing them where our house is,” Bobbi grumbles, taking the unfinished glasses of water from the counter and dumping them in the sink.

“A simple ‘_yes ma’am’_ will do.”

“Yes ma’am,” Bobbi says quietly as she feeds the glasses into the dishwasher.

“Thank you. Now, your father and I will be leaving soon. I’d rather you girls didn’t play here while we aren’t around.”

“I’m _eighteen_ mom, not eight,” Bobbi says. “We’ll hang out outside somewhere.”

There’s a pause where Bobbi has a feeling her mother is trying to pick her battles carefully—they’re both a little tired of conflict after the year they’ve had.

“If you all enjoy each other’s’ company, perhaps our families could get together this week for dinner or something later on.”

“Good idea, Mom,” Bobbi says, though without much enthusiasm. “I’m going to get a shower.”

She leaves the kitchen quickly. Her mother says nothing about her limp, and Bobbi wonders if she even noticed.

~

“So, coming here every summer, does it ever get boring?”

The day on the beach turned into an afternoon in the May-Coulson house, which has now turned into an after-dinner walk on the beach. Bobbi’s mother has only texted once about her whereabouts, and Bobbi had sent back a picture of the beach, to which her mother had replied with a smiley face.

“I mean, it does sometimes, when there’s no one to hang out with, or when things aren’t great between my parents and I. So yeah, it was pretty boring this year until I met you all.”

Jemma, walking at her side furthest from the water, smiles. She’s left her sunhat behind for this excursion, and Bobbi can’t help noticing her adorable freckles that seem to have multiplied throughout the day.

“Well, we’re glad to have met you too,” the girl says shyly, and out of the corner of her eye, Bobbi sees Daisy on her other side shoot Jemma a curious look.

“Are things not good with your parents right now?” Daisy asks next. “It seemed a little tense with your mom this morning.”

“Well, I’ve been in her doghouse since February,” Bobbi admits, stuffing her hands in the back pockets of her cutoffs as they walk.

“What happened in February?” Jemma asks concernedly.

Bobbi hesitates before committing to answering—if she’s going to lose these friends by coming out, it might be better to do it now.

“She got home early one day and saw me and my then-girlfriend making out in the car,” she says. “I hadn’t come out to my mom yet, so she was obviously shocked and really not okay with it. Still isn’t. I think she’s still in the denial stage—she doesn’t want to talk about it at all, but she also barely lets me out of her sight now. That’s part of the reason they dragged me to the coast with them this summer.”

A long pause follows this confession, and Bobbi is grateful for the crashing ocean next to them to fill the silence. It doesn’t seem terribly awkward, but she doesn’t blame the two girls for not knowing what to say in response.

“Thanks for telling us,” Daisy eventually says, brushing her hand once down Bobbi’s arm. “That sounds rough, and I’m sorry it happened that way.”

“Thanks,” Bobbi says, shooting Daisy a smile.

There’s a knowing look in her eyes as she holds her gaze for a moment, and Bobbi wonders if there’s more she isn’t saying.

Before the sun is all the way down, the three of them stumble upon a college kids party setting up a bonfire on the beach. One of the guys calls out to Daisy, and with a grin, she introduces Bobbi and Jemma to her friend, Trip, who she apparently goes way back with. He invites them to join, and while Jemma immediately seems a little uneasy with such a crowd, Daisy slips a protective arm around her waist.

“Don’t worry, I know these guys. And they really know how to build a bonfire.”

Bobbi watches the pair from a distance while chatting up as many people as possible—it’s such a relief to be meeting more people her own age. One of Trip’s friends is _very_ determined to hit on her, which is kind of annoying, but Bobbi isn’t done hanging out with the girls yet and doesn’t want to make it an excuse to leave. Daisy and Jemma have settled onto a driftwood log near the fire and are pressed together from hip to ankle, Daisy’s arm still hanging loosely around Jemma’s waist. Jemma has a plastic cup in her hands but it seems to be going unsipped, while Daisy has a beer bottle in her free hand. Bobbi eventually breaks away to bring Jemma a cup of lemonade, which was on the table as a mixer.

“Here—it’s just lemonade, I promise,” she says, sitting down on Jemma’s other side.

“Oh, thank God,” the girl says, trading cups with Bobbi. “I mixed myself something and it’s bloody awful.”

“Not sure what you’ve heard, but drinking is _not _obligatory at bonfires,” Bobbi says, sniffing the girl’s cup—_yeah that smells awful_. She pours it out in the sand behind them. “Don’t make yourself miserable for the sake of the experience.”

“Okay, but smores _are_ obligatory,” Daisy says, catching sight of some boys sharpening sticks off to one side. “Hey, Trip! Three over here, please!”

“Coming right up,” her friend calls.

Thankfully, putting Jemma to work with her hands seems to be just what the doctor ordered to help her feel more at ease with the party. Once the system has been explained and she’s tasted her first “terribly sweet” dessert hot from the fire, it becomes nearly impossible to get Jemma to stop, even after all three of them have eaten seconds. Daisy eventually returns to the log with Bobbi, leaving Jemma happily roasting marshmallows for some other party guests on the other side of the fire.

“Hey,” Daisy says after a moment, turning slightly towards Bobbi. “I just want you to know—I get it. I came out to my parents just last year.”

Bobbi’s surprise must have been visible, because Daisy quickly hurries forward with more story.

“I was so nervous before, so scared to tell them, afraid it was going to end badly, but they were great about it. I can’t imagine how it would have felt if someone else had taken that away from me though, if I hadn’t had the choice to tell them on my terms when I was ready. And I’m sorry your mom hasn’t come around yet. That has to be really hard.”

“Yeah,” Bobbi says, pivoting her good foot down into the sand until it disappears. “Thanks for saying that. And thanks for telling me. Nice to know I’m not the only bi within a hundred miles.”

Daisy shoots her a sly smirk. “Sometimes I think anyone can be bi for the right person. For some of us, it’s just more of an even split.”

Smiling smugly, Bobbi glances at Jemma, still roasting marshmallows like it’s a project she'll be graded on.

“So…you and Jemma?”

Daisy shakes her head quickly. “No, we’re not a thing. I mean, I’m not even officially out to her. I’m kind of just hoping she’ll figure it out on her own.”

“That you like girls, or that you like her?”

Daisy looks away guiltily, mirroring Bobbi’s gesture and scuffing her foot into the sand.

“It’s just, she and I have known each other for years. I would hate to ruin that if she doesn’t feel the same way. I wonder sometimes if she even knows her own sexuality though…she had some pretty unconventional teen years.”

“Everyone has a different path,” Bobbi says, glancing over at the third girl, her hair glinting gold in the firelight. “You can’t hurry someone even if the destination is the same.”

“Did you get that off a fortune cookie?” Daisy says with a smirk.

“Nah, it’s something my ex said once,” Bobbi says. “She was referring to my mom coming around eventually, but I think you can apply it to most things.”

“Yeah, it’s wise.”

After a moment, Daisy scoots closer and leans over to pull Bobbi into a one-armed hug.

“I’m really glad I met you,” she says quietly, and Bobbi squeezes her back with one arm while trying not to think about the way Daisy smells like coconut sunscreen and wood smoke.

“Same,” Bobbi says, smiling at her before shifting away, opening the distance between them again, which is filled after just a moment by Jemma plopping down in the space between them.

“I’m so glad we’re here,” Jemma sighs, smiling in turn at them both. “This is just so perfect.”

Behind Jemma’s back, Daisy’s hand slips into Bobbi’s, and she tugs her arm until Jemma is literally sandwiched between them, something the girl doesn’t seem to mind at all.

“I’m glad we’re here too, Jemma,” Daisy says, catching Bobbi’s eye and smiling.

Bobbi smiles back and thinks, _Shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not sure if the prompt was implying that Bobbi should be a little older than Jemma and Daisy, but I just made them all the same age for the sake of simplicity.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy and Jemma get some alone time on a rainy day and end up sharing a little more than the sofa

It’s summer and Daisy is perfectly aware that she should be sleeping as much as possible before she returns to her part-time job and, later, a school schedule, but she can’t really stop her body from waking her up early when she’s decently rested (_it’s all Mom’s fault_). Today, as she blinks awake with the first clear glimmer of morning just before seven a.m., Daisy at first only rolls over and tries to will herself back to sleep for a little bit longer. It doesn’t work, of course, and with Jemma still sleeping soundly in the bed on the opposite wall, Daisy eventually takes her phone from its charger and yesterday’s bra from the floor before she slips quietly out of the room. She stops in the bathroom to pee, brush her teeth, and pull on her bra beneath the t-shirt she slept in, then heads down the stairs in search of caffeine and her mom.

Melinda is at the breakfast table already, still dressed in her workout clothes from the morning routine she never foregoes, even on vacation. She has a mug of tea still steaming at her elbow, some papers spread out before her, but it looks like her mom has waited on her for breakfast.

“Morning,” Daisy says as she shuffles in on bare feet.

“Morning,” her mom answers, smiling softly as she glances up from her papers.

Daisy goes straight to the coffeepot and begins to prepare it with a new filter, fresh grounds, and water from the tap. The fact that it hasn’t been done yet means that her dad is still sleeping.

“Class planning?” Daisy asks as she switches the machine on and turns back towards her mother.

“Grading some assignments from the online class,” Melinda answers as Daisy pulls bread out of the cabinet and drops two slices in the toaster.

“How are they doing?” Daisy asks, trying not to think about how she could be one of those students in a few short weeks…

“Decently,” her mom says cryptically, rising from the table and going to the fridge. “Jemma still sleeping?”

“Yep,” Daisy says, pulling down two plates while Melinda pulls eggs, avocados, margarine, and a dragonfruit from the fridge. The two of them fall into their easy rhythm of preparing breakfast, with daisy quickly frying an egg for each of them while her mother slices the fruit and avocado and butters the toast when it pops up. Once their plates are full, enough coffee has dripped through to fill a first cup, and Daisy pours herself one before carrying her plate over to the table.

“Have you made any plans for today?” her mom asks after a few bites of breakfast.

Daisy shrugs. “We’ll probably go to the beach. And eat food. And see Bobbi. Nothing new, I guess.”

“Hundred per cent chance of rain in the afternoon,” her mom notes, scrolling on the weather app. “Might want to have a plan B ready.”

“Dang. All right, maybe we’ll make it a blanket-forts-and-movies day. Jem ought to be up for that.”

“Do you think Jemma is having fun?” Melinda asks then, and Daisy looks at her curiously.

“I think so—why?”

Melinda only shrugs. “Her first time at an American beach, her first time spending this long doing something that’s not school…”

“Her first time hanging out with just us for two weeks straight…”

“Well, I wasn’t going to say it…”

Daisy smiles. “I think she’s having fun…she’s not that great at hiding her feelings, so I’d think we’d know if she was miserable.”

“Hope so. At least I know you’re enjoying having her here.”

Daisy shoots her mom a half-hearted scowl. “You promised you weren’t going to tease me about that.”

“I’m not teasing, I’m observing,” Melinda says, patting her arm once. “You’re not as subtle as you think you are…”

“Hey, just because you did espionage in a former life—”

“Good morning!”

They both fall silent immediately as Phil comes in, already dressed and with his hair combed. He too goes straight to the coffeepot.

“What did I miss?” her dad asks, sticking more bread in the toaster before bringing his coffee to join them at the table.

“Mom’s grading papers,” Daisy says, unable to keep herself from blushing as she stuffs a large bite of dragonfruit in her mouth.

Her parents exchange knowing looks, and Daisy rolls her eyes. “Ship your own students and don’t worry about me. And Jemma,” she says around her fruit. “Jemma will probably finish a third PhD before anyone has a chance to date her.”

Graciously, Phil changes the subject, and the three of them continue their breakfast with slightly less awkwardness. When plates and coffee mugs are finally empty and there’s still no sign of Jemma, Daisy prepares a cup of tea (dash of milk, one sugar) and heads for the stairs. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees her parents exchange another knowing look, but this time she ignores them.

_Your parents know all about your crush and still allow you two to share a room, _she reminds herself._ This is the opposite of a problem. _

Jemma appears to be awake as she enters, rolling over and opening her eyes, though she does not sit up.

“Morning!” Daisy says, reaching over to open the curtains.

“Morning,” Jemma rasps, rubbing her eyes.

“Tea?” Daisy offers, coming over to sit on top of the covers next to Jemma.

“Sure, in a minute,” Jemma says, sighing and falling into the pillow again.

“Mom says it’s going to rain this afternoon, so if you want to do the beach at all today we probably shouldn’t dick around here too long.”

“Is Bobbi free today?” Jemma asks, rubbing her eyes, and Daisy ignores the small pulse of jealousy as she pulls her phone out of the pocket of the basketball shorts she slept in and opens her text conversation with Bobbi. 

** _Might rain later… how does beach and then movie day sound?_ **

She moves out of the way as Jemma climbs out of bed and heads to the bathroom, and Daisy pulls on her own bikini and a pair of shorts while waiting.

**_I have to do this lunch thing with my parents and some of their friends today_**_, _Bobbi responds by the time Daisy has pulled her hair up into a ponytail. **_But I’ll head over to your place after that. Enjoy the beach for me!_**

Jemma comes out of the bathroom in a sundress with the straps of her swimsuit visible around her neck.

“Hear from her?”

“She’s tied up until after lunch but she’ll come over later.”

“Wonderful. Let’s go, then.”

Daisy packs them a bag of snacks while Jemma eats a quick breakfast, and then they’re on their way. The beach is still sparsely populated by the time they make it out there, and the two of them set up their towels on a relatively level spot of sand not far from the tide. A band of clouds lurks on the horizon, but Daisy guesses they’ll have at least a couple of hours of sunshine before they have to head back in. Jemma pulls off her dress, revealing the crocheted bikini that Daisy would love for herself but mostly loves on Jemma, and Daisy automatically looks away before she looks too long. They slather on sunscreen and then settle down with their magazines.

Daisy can focus enough to read a few pages—she’s had plenty of practice.

“Hey, isn’t that your friend?” Jemma says a while later when she sits up to sip from her water bottle.

Daisy looks the same direction she is, and sure enough, there’s Trip and his friends down the beach playing frisbee while there’s enough space free of sunbathers.

“Yep, that’s him,” Daisy says with a smile.

“What’s the story there?” Jemma asks as she settle back down on her towel, also on her stomach. “How did you guys meet?”

“My dad knows his parents,” Daisy says, turning over so that her back can get some sun too. “I met him around here couple of summers ago.”

“Was he ever your boyfriend?”

Daisy shoots Jemma a surprised look. “No, we’re just friends. I mean, I definitely had a crush on him at one point, but that was it.”

“Did you ever tell him that?”

Laughing at the thought of it, Daisy hides her face. “God no. He was older, and I was way too shy.”

“What about now?” Jemma asks innocently. “Who’s your current crush?”

Guilt keeps Daisy from looking at her. “Save it for Truth or Dare, Jemma.”

“It’s Bobbi, isn’t it?”

Jemma’s tone falls right between knowing and joking, so Daisy only gives her a quizzical look.

_Maybe she has figured me out after all?_

“I mean—she’s got legs for days and a killer smile…” Jemma goes on, smiling a little dreamily. “Anyone would be so lucky…”

There is just enough levity in her tone that Daisy doesn’t feel like it’s safe to come clean about her sexuality right at this moment. Instead, she just turns back to her magazine.

“She is gorgeous, isn’t she?” This at least feels safe to say—a blind man would agree with that statement.

Less than an hour later, a breeze picks up over the beach, and the clouds suddenly seem to be racing in. Not long after that, thunder rumbles in the distance, and a lifeguard blows the whistle, signaling everyone in from the water.

“Guess that’s our cue,” Daisy grumbles, shoving her magazine back in her bag and climbing to her feet.

The sun has disappeared behind the clouds before they get home, though only a few stray raindrops smack against the windows as they change clothes and head to the kitchen to dress up their snacks into an acceptable lunch. The floodgates are still holding off as they settle in the living room with their plates of sandwiches and chips, and Daisy agrees to watch a few episodes of _Doctor Who_, provided they can follow it with _Wonder Woman_.

“We’ve watched that movie twice already this week,” Jemma whines halfheartedly, though she’s already loading in their current Doctor Who DVD.

“If I have to suffer Matt Smith’s face for a couple of hours, then I’ve earned two hours staring at Gal Gadot,” Daisy says shamelessly.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear you say that,” Jemma says as she settles next to her on the sofa with the remote.

They eat in silence for a while, but Daisy gets the impression that Jemma is thinking about something besides the current plot on the television, which makes her slightly nervous. One episode rolls into another, and suddenly Jemma looks over at her.

“Do you have crushes on boys _and_ girls?”

The question is so startling that Daisy can’t speak for a minute, forcing herself to look over at Jemma.

“Why are you asking?” she finally chokes out, the only thing she can think to say.

“It’s just,” Jemma looks back towards the TV for a moment, “You’ve said things about liking boys or thinking boys are handsome…but you also love Gal Gadot…”

“Well, I love her in the celebrity, ‘I-know-it-will-never-happen-but-I-can-dream’ sense, yeah,” Daisy says quickly, not sure why she’s fighting this…

“Yes, but that’s not the only time you’ve said something like that. It’s just, I’m asking because I…” Jemma goes on, now looking back at Daisy, “…I know people can love men or women…but do you love…both?”

Daisy clenches her teeth for a moment, turning back towards the television, then takes a deep breath.

“Yeah, Jem. I’m bi. I’ve had crushes on girls and boys.”

A long silence follows, and Daisy eventually risks a glance at Jemma to find her gazing away, her brow pinched in a thoughtful way.

“Well, when it comes to girls, how do you know when you have a _crush_ on a girl, and you don’t just…love her like a friend?”

It’s certainly not the question Daisy was expecting, and she actually almost smiles. “Well, I don’t want to kiss people who are just my friends.”

Jemma meets her eyes again, smiling slightly.

“Is this why you didn’t want to tell me your crush before? Were you afraid I’d be upset?”

Daisy looks down. “I wasn’t really sure how you’d react, Jem, and I didn’t want to ruin the week if you weren’t okay with it.”

Jemma smiles, reaching over to touch Daisy’s hand briefly. “Well, I’m glad you told me. If I’m going to be a good wing-woman for you at the Academy next year, then this is the kind of thing I should know.”

Relieved beyond measure, Daisy finally lets herself shudder out a laugh. Feeling brave, she reaches over and pulls Jemma into a brief hug.

“Thanks for being chill, Jem,” she says over her shoulder. “You’re the best.”

When Jemma pulls away, she grabs the remote.

“We can switch to _Wonder Woman_ now, if you want.”

The two of them end up dozing off at some point during the slower part of the movie, and Daisy wakes up when a clap of thunder that seems to come from directly above them nearly makes the house shudder. The movie is still rolling on the screen, but outside the windows, the world is dark with rain slamming down in sheets. Jemma, snuggled beneath a throw blanket on the opposite arm of the sofa, looks blearily around for a moment before turning to Daisy.

“We should ask Bobbi if she’s got a car—I’d hate for her to walk over in this.”

Annoyed jealousy flickers beneath her heart again as Daisy pulls out her phone, but she definitely agrees with the sentiment. Looking at the screen, she sees that it’s almost four o’clock already, and there’s no message from Bobbi. Opening their text conversation, Daisy fires off a quick message.

** _Hey, ETA? You’re definitely welcome to stay through dinner if you want. Also, do you have a car? We don't want you to walk over in this storm—if you don’t have a car, I can come pick you up._ **

A couple of minutes creep by before Bobbi’s response pops up.

** _Just got home a little while ago. Is there any chance I could stay overnight?_ **

Surprised and concerned, Daisy sits up as she responds.

** _I’m sure it’s fine, but let me just check with my folks._ **

She explains the situation to Jemma, and the two of them go hunting for Daisy’s parents. They find them out on the covered porch with half-full wine glasses on the small table between them, watching the storm and enjoying the sound of the rain.

“Good nap?” her dad asks, setting down his book as Daisy steps out on the deck with them. Though there are no leaks in the roof, she can feel the moisture thick in the air.

“Fantastic. Dreamed about Gal Gadot,” Daisy says, glancing over at Jemma with a smirk. “Hey, would it be all right if Bobbi came over here for the rest of the day? She asked if it would be okay to spend the night.”

“Sounds great,” Phil says, enthusiastic as he is about everything. “I was planning to grill kebabs for us for dinner though, and it looks like the weather won’t let us cook out.”

“We could still do the kebabs in the oven,” Melinda reminds her husband. “And bake some potatoes. How does that sound?”

“Baller. I’ll let her know. Also, if she doesn’t have a car here, can I borrow the keys and go pick her up?”

Turns out, Bobbi _doesn’t_ have a car, but Melinda doesn’t want Daisy driving in rain this heavy either, which is how she and Jemma end up in the backseat of their SUV while her mom drives them down the road to Bobbi’s house. Bobbi has asked them to wait up the road, which Melinda agrees to do far more easily than Daisy expected. In front of the neighbor’s house, Daisy sends a message, and a couple of minutes later, she sees a figure running across the lawn with a bag over one shoulder, head down against the beating rain.

Bobbi leaps into the car and nearly into Daisy’s lap as they slide over to make room for her, exclaiming that she should have an umbrella, for goodness sake, but as soon as Daisy gets a good look at Bobbi’s face, she can immediately tell that the blonde has been crying recently. Bobbi thanks Melinda for picking her up and shakes her head at Jemma’s concerned inquiry, shrugging the bag off her shoulder and onto her lap as Melinda pulls a U-turn and drives them back to the house.

Only then does Daisy realize that Bobbi still isn’t wearing any shoes.

Back in the Coulson/May/Johnson/Simmons house, Phil is already working on dinner, and he immediately assigns everyone a job as soon as they walk in.

“Be right back, Dad,” Daisy says quickly, hurrying Bobbi through the kitchen towards her room, feeling Jemma following close behind. “I know those veggies won’t wash themselves, but give us a minute.”

She can already tell her mom will cover for them, no matter how long this takes.

Behind the safety of her bedroom door, Bobbi drops her bag on the floor and holds out her arms, biting her lip. Daisy quickly moves to wrap her arms around her, and a moment later, Jemma’s arms surround them both. Beneath the ear pressed against her chest, Bobbi shudders, a reined-in sob finally escaping, and Daisy tightens her grip.

“I don’t know what happened, but I’m sorry.”

“Thanks,” Bobbi whimpers, holding on to them both.

When Bobbi eventually pulls back, Jemma goes straight to the dresser to fetch her a tissue, even though Bobbi has already pulled up the neck of her shirt to wipe her eyes.

“Sorry to be gloomy company,” Bobbi says, attempting to smile at Jemma as she takes the tissue, “but thanks for getting me out of there.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Daisy asks cautiously. “Or would you rather not, right now?”

Bobbi shakes her head as she blows her nose.

“I’ll tell you later. I kind of just want to stop crying right now.”

Daisy leaves Jemma comforting Bobbi and goes to join her parents in the kitchen, just so her dad won’t feel the need to come drag her from her room.

“Is she all right?” Melinda asks quietly as they wash and chop vegetables next to each other while her dad works on a marinade on the opposite counter.

_There’s nothing she doesn’t notice, is there?_

Daisy only shrugs. “I can’t tell. But I hope she will be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the abrupt ending bit I promise I'll make it up with the next chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy femslash february! This chapter took a surprising turn for me, with a conversation about something I have never personally written about or researched very deeply. If you get to the end and find that I bungled it, please feel free to say so in the comments and point me to better resources for understanding. I am still interested in exploring this a little more in the future.

Thunder is still rumbling and Bobbi is still sniffling for a few minutes after Daisy leaves the room, and Jemma tugs her gently to sit down on her bed with her.

“It’s all right,” she says softly, rubbing Bobbi’s back gently beneath her damp curtain of blonde hair. “Take your time.”

Bobbi lets out a heavy breath, wiping her nose with the tissue again. “Thanks. This whole thing isn’t the end of the world or anything—it’s just drama with my mom. I was just glad to get out of there, but it’s a lot better to be here with you.”

This is nice to hear, and Jemma keeps rubbing Bobbi’s back gently until the blonde sighs, patting Jemma’s leg once before getting to her feet.

“I’ll put on some dry clothes,” she mutters, grabbing her bag from the floor and turning back towards Jemma. “Do you have a comb I can borrow?”

Jemma leads her down the bathroom, shows her where her comb (and the rest of her toiletries, in case Bobbi needs anything else) is, and Bobbi smiles at her gratefully and touches Jemma’s arm lightly before slipping inside and shutting the door.

Dinner, party of five, is a bit awkward at first, even though Jemma can tell that Daisy is trying to keep it from being so. She chats with all of them in turn while Bobbi eats mostly silently, perking up only when Phil asks about her planned major at college in the fall.

“Biochem,” Bobbi answers, looking up from her plate for nearly the first time since sitting down. Her eyes and nose are no longer red, but she still has a bit of a wrung-out look about her.

“Oh, you must already know that Jemma has a PhD in Biochemistry!” Phil says with a smile, glancing at Jemma, who looks in turn at Bobbi.

“You’re going to study Biochem? Why didn’t you say so?” she exclaims, and Bobbi cracks her first smile since she arrived.

“I thought you didn’t want to talk about your PhDs on vacation,” she says, making Jemma smile as well.

“Well you’re hardly a stranger now—I can’t believe we didn’t talk about this sooner!”

The rest of dinner passes quickly after that, and Daisy takes charge of washing the dishes with her dad while Melinda directs Jemma and Bobbi in clearing the table and putting away the leftover food.

“We have a guest room upstairs, so I’ll make that bed up for you,” she says when they’re done while stacking the plasticware boxes in the refrigerator.

“Thanks. And thanks for letting me come over and stay,” Bobbi says sincerely, making Melinda pat her hand, giving her a meaningful look.

“You’re welcome any time. And I mean that.”

She heads upstairs, and Daisy turns to Bobbi, drying her hands on a dishtowel.

“Do you want to watch a movie or anything? Play a game? We have a lot.”

“What do you have?”

Now a few days into her time at the Coulson-May-Johnson family beach house, Jemma has been introduced to Balderdash (which she’s terrible at), Ticket to Ride (which Phil usually wins), and Settlers of Catan (which Daisy usually wins). But Bobbi’s face lights up at the sight of Exploding Kittens, which Jemma has still never played, and Daisy immediately plucks it from the shelf, calling her parents to a game at the now-cleared dinner table.

“It’s a lot more fun with five people. Jemma, don’t make that face—I promise this game is hilarious.”

The game is…interesting. Jemma can’t stop reading all the instructions and jokes on the cards even after she gets familiar with the premise, so she’s not usually paying enough attention to act quickly on her turns. Bobbi wins the first game, then Melinda wins the second, but the parents decline when Daisy suggests a third round.

“You girls can take over the den if you want—I’ve got a conference call tonight,” Phil says, pushing in his chair. “Daisy, make sure you turn out the lights before you go upstairs.”

“Got it, Dad,” Daisy says, accepting a hug from him. “Goodnight.”

Once he and Melinda have headed off to their room on the ground floor, Bobbi turns to Daisy.

“Who has a conference call at 9pm?”

“Companies who have workers all over the world,” Daisy shrugs, stacking the cards back into the box. “Let’s take some junk food and go upstairs, just so we have a little more privacy.”

A few minutes later, circled on the carpet around a package of cookies and a bag of chips Bobbi surprises them by pulling a bottle of wine from her bag.

“Either of you interested?” she says, unscrewing the cap. “This is obviously the really classy kind…”

“Really?” Jemma says, her brow furrowing, trying to glimpse the label.

“Not really Jemma, classy wines come with corks,” Daisy says with a light dig of her elbow before climbing to her feet. “I can get us some cups from the kitchen.”

Once the wine has been poured into three mismatched plastic cups, Bobbi raises hers for a wordless toast and then downs it in a single sip.

“So…” she says with a sigh as she lowers her cup, “I had to go to lunch with my parents today.”

Jemma and Daisy’s cups immediately come down.

“Oh no, what happened?”

Bobbi is shaking her head as she pours more wine for herself. “I mean, we didn’t fight at lunch, but it sort of started there.”  
She takes another drink before continuing.

“The people we were with are this family that I’ve known since I was little, and their son is a little older than me. He wasn’t there, but his parents were talking about how he’s getting serious about his college girlfriend, and my mom was saying something about how great it would be if this older couple became grandparents, and I just kind of interrupted like, ‘Isn’t there anything else to enjoy about your son being in a relationship? Like, are you also happy to see him happy? Or are you just glad to see a willing vessel for grandkids?’ and they didn’t take it too personally, just sort of laughed it off and said that I was right, but when we left, my mom ripped into me in the car. And before I knew it, we were fighting about everything else…”

“Oh, that’s awful. I’m so sorry,” Daisy says, laying a comforting hand on Bobbi’s knee. “You weren’t wrong. I’m sorry your mom got so bent out of shape, but you weren’t wrong.”

“I mean, that’s one of the stupid reasons she’s lobbed at me in the past about why she was upset about me being gay…’what about kids? You’re never going to have kids!’”

Jemma shakes her head sympathetically. “Why are parents so fixated on that as soon as you finish school…”

“Your parents don’t do that, do they?” Daisy says, looking her direction.

Jemma shrugs. “Well, not in a terrible way. But they’ve made comments about how I’ll have to learn to divide my attention someday, and I know they’re thinking of any future family I might have.”

Daisy rolls her eyes. “Ugh. Parents need to chill out. If they want babies, they should just have more themselves.”

“So I’m assuming your parents don’t do that?” Bobbi says, giving Daisy a pointed look.

Daisy shoots her a finger gun with her free hand. “Jiùshì. They could have adopted a baby if they’d wanted one, but instead they picked a fifteen-year-old grouch with a juvie record and attachment issues. And I love them for it.”

Bobbi smiles, settling back against Jemma’s bed.

“You guys want to play ‘never have I ever’?”

Jemma has never head of the game, but the concept seems fairly straightforward.

“Someone makes a statement that begins with ‘Never have I ever’,” Daisy explains as she settles back on her elbows, “and if any of us _have_ done that thing, then we have to take a drink.”

“Ugh, we’ll be here all night,” Jemma says, getting comfortable. “You know I’ve done hardly anything outside of a lab…”

“Never have I ever earned a PhD,” Bobbi says, raising one eyebrow, and Jemma gives her a surprised look before taking a drink.

“That’s how you play,” Daisy says with a smirk. “Get specific.”

“Never have I ever graduated from a public school,” Jemma retorts, and Bobbi gives her an approving look before taking a drink.

“Now you’ve got it.”

“Never have I ever had a British passport,” Daisy says next, and Jemma narrows her eyes as she drinks.

“Never have I ever been adopted.”

Daisy makes an offended expression. “Ouch—low blow.”

Jemma scrambles immediately. “I’m so sorry!”

But then Daisy grins. “I’m totally kidding, Jem. Fine, here’s one for the Amazon—never have I ever been taller than 5’5’’.”

“Cheap shot,” Bobbi mutters around her cup. “Never have I ever been accepted to the Academy.”

“Oh but you should!” Jemma says after she and Daisy both drink. “Wouldn’t it be fun if we all went there together?”

Bobbi smiles a little dreamily. “Wouldn’t it be nice?”

This triggers them to all sing a verse from the Beach Boys’ song, but then Daisy waves off their off-key harmonies after a moment.

“Ok here’s one—never have I ever gotten suspended from school.”

They all look at each other, and then Daisy slowly takes a drink.

“Damn. I just thought I wasn’t the only one…”

Bobbi flashes her a smile and shrugs. “I only get in trouble at home, not at school.”

“Never have I ever been a Computer Science major,” Jemma says, smirking at Daisy, who drinks again.

“Never have I ever had afternoon tea.”

“So uncivilized,” Jemma teases, feeling a flush climbing in her cheeks as she finishes her cup. “More please?”

Daisy starts to refill her cup, but Bobbi puts her hand on the bottle.

“Maybe we should slow down…”

But Jemma shakes her head, tipping the bottle and more wine into her cup before Daisy pulls it away. “No, you two just need to catch up. Never have I ever kissed a girl.”

There’s a short pause as Daisy raises a brow in surprise, then slowly takes a drink. Bobbi, looking at her out of the corner of her eye, seems concerned.

“I, uh…just came out to Jemma,” Daisy says sheepishly in her direction. “Like…a few hours ago.”

“Oh wow. Well done,” Bobbi says, smiling a little and then taking a quick drink. “Well then, Jemma, never have I ever kissed a boy.”

Surprisingly, all three of them drink.

“Wait, really Jemma?” Daisy says as soon as she lowers her cup. “Who?”

Jemma rolls her eyes at the memory. “Ugh, he was a classmate in Year 4. His name was Melvin. We did it on a dare, and it was gross.”

“He was gross? Or the kiss was gross?”

“He was a kid, like me. The kiss was awkward and gross I had no interest in doing it again.”

They’re quiet for a moment, then Bobbi shrugs. “Never have I ever been to England.”

The keep going until the bottle is empty and they’re all sprawling at various angles with the carpet, slowly dissolving into giggles.

“We’d better keep it down, in case my parents get worried,” Daisy says, trying to shush them as she collects their empty cups. “Want to just get ready for bed now so that we’re not noisy later?”

Bobbi takes her bag to the guest room while Jemma and Daisy change in Daisy’s (though it takes Jemma a couple of tries to get her pajama shorts on her legs…). After they take turns in the bathroom, Daisy moves the party into Bobbi’s room.

“My room is right over my parents’…it might be better for us to hang here until we’re ready to crash. And anyway, this room has a TV.”

Bobbi sprawls back in the pillows and sighs. “Honestly, I don’t know if I’ll last much longer. Can we just do a movie?”

“Sure,” Daisy says, finding the remote for the smart TV. “Bobbi, you’re the guest—you pick.”

Jemma only remembers the first scene of _The Empire Strikes Back_. She remembers more clearly how nice it feels snuggled between Bobbi and Daisy, soft breath and sweet scents until she falls asleep.

~

Like most mornings on this trip, Jemma wakes up to discover that Daisy has already risen before her. Today, waking comes with the added confusion of a headache and a strange room, and also the presence of another woman in the bed beside her.

Bobbi appears to still be asleep, one arm thrown up over her head on the pillow, her blonde hair fanned out beneath her. As soon as Jemma moves, however, Bobbi sniffs in a breath, her body going slightly tense and eyes fluttering open.

“Did we all sleep in here?” Jemma murmurs, noticing how close the two of them are lying, a third, empty space on Bobbi’s other side.

Bobbi squints at her in the dimness, peering around at the room and seeming to process their surroundings.

“Mmm. Yeah, we did. You crashed hard, and Daisy was right behind you, so we just made a party out of it.”

“Oh. Well, I’m not sure if I should apologize, but thank you for tolerating me.”

“You’re more than tolerable,” Bobbi says with a sleepy smile, reaching over to touch Jemma’s cheek with one soft fingertip.

Jemma is a bit surprised by the touch, but she doesn’t mind it at all. Bobbi looks so lovely with her hair mussed and eyes bleary that Jemma wishes she could mirror the gesture…

But then Bobbi is moving, pulling away and pushing back the covers, slowly unfolding her long legs from the bed.

“Were you going to shower this morning?” she says as she shuffles to her bag, pawing slowly through its contents.

Jemma shakes her head, mostly to clear her thoughts. “Oh. Well, I showered yesterday, so probably not.”

Bobbi nods back. “Ok. I think I probably should, so if you want to use the bathroom first…”

“Sure,” Jemma says, abruptly noticing how badly she needs to. “I’ll be fast.”

A couple of minutes later, after Jemma has used the toilet, brushed her teeth, and splashed some water on her face, Jemma returns to Bobbi’s room, where she sees the blonde has set out a clean set of clothes and a shower kit.

“Do you need anything?” Jemma offers, inspecting the small kit. “You can use any of my things in the shower…”

“I think I’m good,” Bobbi says, picking up her things. “Thank you, though.”

She brushes her hand over Jemma’s arm as she passes her, a touch Jemma can still feel even after she’s all the way downstairs.

Phil is the only one at the breakfast table when she gets to the dining room, the paper still spread out in front of him next to a cup of coffee.

“Morning!” he says brightly as Jemma shuffles to the kettle. “There are still bagels in the cupboard, and Daisy just went with her mom to the supermarket, since we’re running low on almost everything else.”

“Oh, thank you,” Jemma says softly, setting the kettle on its stand and flipping it on.

“You all have a good time last night?” Phil says over the top of the paper, and Jemma feels herself blushing slightly.

“Yes, we did. Hope we weren’t too noisy.”

“No, not at all. It’s nice to know you all are so close.”

Jemma toasts a bagel and prepares her tea and is just about to carry it to the table when Bobbi comes downstairs, her wet hair soaking the shoulders of her shirt. Phil gives her the same morning announcements while Jemma directs her through the kitchen, and then the two of them carry their drinks and bagels out onto the deck so that their chatter doesn’t bother Phil.

The sky has cleared dramatically since yesterday, but there is a lingering chill in the air, so Jemma draws her legs up onto the chair while they talk and eat.

“I checked my phone—I’ve got four missed calls from my mom since last night,” Bobbi says, sighing. “I mean, I left her a note before I took off, but I have no idea how we finish this saga. I have to go home eventually…”

“I wish you could just stay,” Jemma says without thinking. “I’m sure no one would mind at all, and I would love it.”

Bobbi smiles gratefully over at Jemma. “That’s sweet of you. I’d love that too.”

Having that smile directed directly at her without the barrier of wine or protection of Daisy makes butterflies flutter again in Jemma’s stomach, and she takes a deep breath before saying what she’s been rehearsing since she woke up.

“Bobbi, I want to ask you something,” she says, turning slightly towards her. “It’s not a question exactly though, it’s more like a request.”

Bobbi looks at her expectanly, still holding her coffee cup in one hand.

Jemma takes a deep breath, then says softly in case there’s any chance of Phil overhearing, “Bobbi, would you… would you kiss me?”

Bobbi looks a little startled, her brow furrowing, so Jemma hurries to explain herself.

“I was thinking about how I’d like to last night…but it didn’t seem right, taking advantage of all of us having a bit of wine…and then, this morning…I found myself wishing… well, I felt I might as well ask…”

Bobbi cocks her head, her mouth pulling tight. “Not that I wouldn’t want to, but don’t you like Daisy?”

Jemma feels a blush immediately climbing in her cheeks, partly at the statement and partly at the question. “The thing is…” she says slowly, “when she came out to me yesterday, I asked her how she knew if she liked a girl as more than a friend. And I didn’t say that trying to reason away her feelings; I was really asking for myself.”

Bobbi looks, if possible, more surprised. “And what did she say?”

Jemma looks sheepishly into her teacup. “Well, she said she doesn’t want to kiss people who are just her friends.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Bobbi shrugs. “Well, that’s one way to put it.”

“And I mean…” Jemma continues, processing aloud the thoughts she’s been sorting through for days. “I _do_ like her. I like being with her, I like the way she makes me feel, of course I think she’s beautiful, and I kind of…” She hesitates, then takes another deep breath. “Well, I’d say I want more, but really I just don’t ever want to be without her. But I don’t know if I actually want all of the other things couples do… I mean, I like the thought of touching her, but I’ve only kissed one person, and it wasn’t really all that thrilling for me…”

“So,” Bobbi interrupts drawing Jemma’s gaze over again, “are you asking me to kiss you because you like me, or are you just constructing an experiment to see if you like kissing at all?”

Jemma looks at her shyly. “Who says it has to be one or the other? If I was going to do it with anyone, I’d prefer it to be you.”

Bobbi smiles with one side of her mouth, reaching over and taking Jemma’s hand. “I think you’re really cute Jemma,” she says, which makes Jemma’s heartbeat immediately pick up in anticipation, “and I like the rest of you more than a little. So I’m going to say no because …well, partly because if you’re going to try kissing someone, it should be Daisy. And because I’ve got feelings too.”

Jemma exhales, both disappointed and relieved. She turns her hand beneath Bobbi’s and squeezes it back. “I understand. Thank you for being honest. And I’m sorry if this made you uncomfortable, but thank you for listening.”

Bobbi shakes her head, withdrawing her hand and settling back into her chair. “No. Like I said…in other circumstances, it would have been okay.”

Jemma has no response to that, so she keeps staring at Bobbi while the blonde keeps staring out over the sea. Eventually, the other woman sighs.

“Really though, Jemma. You should just tell her how you feel. She might surprise you.”

“I think… I think I know how she feels,” Jemma admits. “And she’s been very respectful of me not committing to showing her how I feel. And that’s been because I’m afraid of letting her down. What if she wants something, and it turns out to not be something I like?”

Bobbi finally looks back at her, her dark blue eyes twinkling. “Well, it’s not like you have to kiss her in the first five minutes. Or even the first year, if you don’t want to. Asexuality is a thing that I’m guessing you’ve read up on at least once, even incidentally, and maybe it’s your thing, if your suspicions are true. And if you find out it is and you still want a relationship, a person worth having will be willing to talk through that and work with you. Daisy probably would be a person like that. But you can’t figure out those boundaries unless you talk about it in the first place. And I can’t have that conversation for you.”

Jemma rubs her thumb over her cooling mug and gathers her courage for one more risky question.

“Bobbi… do you also have a bit of a crush on Daisy?”

Bobbi says nothing, makes no expression, just holds Jemma’s gaze in silence for a long moment. The sacredness abruptly vanishes thought as the sound of the automatic garage around the side of the house cuts through the air like a chainsaw, causing them both to look in that direction.

_Daisy and Melinda coming home…_

Jemma and Bobbi’s eyes meet again, and Bobbi shrugs minutely as she gets to her feet.

“We should go say good morning,” she says, reaching for the deck door and sliding it open.

She never answers the question. And Jemma supposes that is, therefore, her answer.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone decides to put their cards on the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're all pining for the outdoors right now, so thanks for coming back to my beach fic :)

She’s grounded for running off, which seems a bit ironic.

The showdown when she arrives home that afternoon is about what she expected—lots of berating, lots of ‘we were worried sick!’ and plenty of ‘you know better than to just disappear and ignore your phone!’

Said phone is taken away and kept in her mother’s purse at all times. For two days, Bobbi doesn’t get to venture any further than the deck, not even to go for a run. It kills her that she can’t tell Daisy and Jemma what’s going on, but even at night her phone sleeps in her mom’s nightstand, and she’s not so reckless to attempt a heist like that. So she reads the summer reading assignments she’s already been sent. She watches Netflix with her dad. She works out in the living room. Eats meals with her parents.

Still, it’s not like they’re willing to stay at home monitoring her at the expense of their social life, so two nights later when they go out to meet friends for dinner, Bobbi sticks a frozen pizza in the oven and settles into the sofa anticipating a night of uninterrupted binge-watching.

Before the opening credits of her show start rolling though, there is a knock on the back patio door.

Jumping to her feet and clutching her chest, Bobbi pauses the TV and slips cautiously around the corner to peer out at the deck. Two young women stand there smiling and waving in the dusky light, and Bobbi lets out a shuddering laugh and rushes to unlock the door.

“You scared the shit out of me!” she exclaims, hugging Jemma and Daisy in turn as she hauls them inside. “Augh, it’s so good to see you though.”

“Full disclosure,” Daisy says, sliding a tote bag off her shoulder, “we’ve low-key been staking out your home since we last saw you. Saw you on the deck once, so we knew your parents didn’t bury you in the basement at least and figured you just got your phone taken away.”

“And then we saw your parents heading out tonight and didn’t see you with them…” Jemma continues.

“So we brought our plans to you,” Daisy finishes, holding up the bag. “Our picnic dinner. Want to eat inside or outside?”

Bobbi goes to turn off the oven as they set up the picnic on the patio table. The girls have brought plastic dishes and silverware with them, and she’s grateful she won’t have to scramble to wash everything or destroy the evidence before her parents get back.

“How much longer are you grounded?” Daisy asks as Bobbi brings out a pitcher of raspberry lemonade from her own fridge

“Who knows,” she sighs, pouring three cups. “My mom made it sound like it’s until she’s satisfied.”

“I’m so sorry,” Jemma says, touching her hand briefly as she fusses over the dishes she’s opening up and setting out on the table. “I wish things were different.”

There are containers of grapes and berries, crackers, cheese cubes, sliced summer sausage, vegetable sticks, and hummus, and the girls have even brought some little candles in jars along with a lighter. Once everything is arranged, Daisy directs them all to sit down and starts passing around the containers, and they dig in with smiles as the sun starts to set.

“So what have you two been up to since Tuesday?” Bobbi asks after a few bites, and the girls exchange a sheepish look. Jemma is blushing slightly, but they both look so glowingly happy that Bobbi thinks she can guess what the two of them will say next.

“Well, we have something to ask you…” Jemma begins.

“Jem!” Daisy cuts her off, looking a little alarmed.

_Maybe I don’t know what comes next…_

“Isn’t it best to just cut right to it?” Jemma responds, looking at Daisy. “Make the most of time, and all that?”

“We haven’t even eaten yet!” Daisy says helplessly, gesturing to the table.

“Well her parents could come home at any minute, so…”

The girls exchange a few words with looks, and Bobbi braces herself as Daisy finally sighs and looks at her.

“Okay, well, first we kind of wanted to say…thank you.” She reaches over and takes Jemma’s hand, their fingers lacing together easily, a sight that makes Bobbi’s stomach swoop. “We um, I suppose you could say we’re together now.”

Bobbi forces her mouth into what she hopes looks like a sincere smile. “Congratulations?” she says, unable to feel only jealous from the soft glow in Jemma’s eyes. “I’m happy for you guys. When did you finally get your act and yourselves together?”

The two of them smile sheepishly at each other. “Well, it’s still rather new,” Jemma says. “It actually happened that evening after you went home.”

“But the ‘thank you’ is because…” Daisy begins, glancing at Jemma, “Well, the same moment we had the DTR conversation, Jemma told me what you and she had talked about while I was out with my mom that morning.”

Bobbi sucks in a surprised breath.

“Don’t worry, it was fine,” Daisy continues quickly. “She told me how you were straightforward with her, how you didn’t want to be used, told her she should talk to me…but she told me how you said you kind of like her too.”

Bobbi looks down at the table but says nothing. _What am I even supposed to say now?_

“But the question we have for you now is…how do you feel about me?”

Bobbi looks up at Daisy, her brow furrowing. “What are you talking about?”

Daisy smiles apologetically, pulling her hand free from Jemma’s so that she can move herself and her chair a little bit closer to Bobbi.

“I know I’m putting you on the spot, but it’s important for whatever we’re going to say next. Do you…I know you think Jemma’s cute and you like her, but do you feel similarly about me? Or could you?”

Still confused, Bobbi stares at Daisy and shakes her head slowly. “It doesn’t really matter how I feel, does it? You guys found each other, you’re together now…”

“Bobbi, please just answer the question,” Daisy interrupts, her own brows knitting together.

“No.”

Daisy cocks her head. “_No,_ you don’t like me, or _no,_ you won’t answer?”

“I’m not answering that question,” Bobbi says, pulling her gaze away.

“Fine. Truth or dare?” Daisy says with a levity that falls flat.

Bobbi folds her arms, staring down at the dinner she doesn’t think she can enjoy anymore. “Nope. Not playing.”

Jemma interrupts, reaching over to touch Bobbi’s elbow lightly. “Bobbi, we’re not trying to trap you or make this awful. What we’re trying to say is…we both like you.” She doesn’t continue until Bobbi cautiously lifts her gaze to Jemma’s. “In the same way we like each other,” the girl goes on, her eyes sincere. “We want to say it, and we want to show it. But first, we wanted to ask if you feel the same.”

Bobbi stares silently at each of them in turn for a long moment, slowly believing that they’re being serious, before finally closing her eyes and shaking her head.

“This can’t be happening,” she sighs, mostly to herself.

“Well, it is,” Daisy says, causing her to open her eyes and find them both staring expectantly at her. “And it’s waiting on you.”

“No, I mean…” Bobbi says, lifting her hands helplessly, “three’s a crowd.”

Daisy smiles. “Not if none of us think that.”

_Why are you fighting this, Bobbi? _she thinks to herself. _Two girls you like are saying they both like you too and are happy about this…This should be the opposite of a problem…_

“I don’t know what to say,” Bobbi admits. She’s out of excuses.

But Jemma surprises her, reaching over to take her nearest hand. “Maybe…you don’t really have to say anything?”

Jemma pulls her hand closer, lacing their fingers together until their palms meet. Bobbi’s gaze is locked on hers, so she knows exactly what’s happening as Jemma leans slowly towards her. A stronger person might have given her the cheek, but instead, Bobbi just closes her eyes. Jemma’s lips are soft, her kiss a delicate offering, and Bobbi stays frozen in place when Jemma pulls back.

She can _hear_ Daisy smiling. “You’re only the third person she’s kissed.”

"And it turns out, I like it much better with girls," Jemma adds shyly.

Bobbi has barely opened her eyes when Daisy swoops in, pressing a far more confident kiss to her lips, her hands gripping Bobbi’s face meaningfully. When they part, Bobbi sucks in a gasp, aware that her face must be flushed, and her eyes go immediately to Jemma.

She’s right there, leaning calmly over the table beside her, watching with a pleased look on her face and one of Bobbi’s hands still locked in hers.

“So…” Daisy says, smoothing Bobbi’s hair back and drawing her gaze back to her, “is there anything you want to say now?” She’s smiling, her eyes sparkling, but underneath Bobbi catches a shadow of nervousness.

Bobbi looks back and forth between them, finally reaching up to pull one of Daisy’s hands down to clasp in her own. Cautiously, she smiles at them. “How are we gonna make this work?”

Both Daisy and Jemma seem to exhale for the first time this evening, jittery giggles riding out on its coattails. Daisy is beaming as she reaches over to take Jemma’s hand again, completing the circle.

“You know…this is kind of why we didn’t want to wait until after you were un-grounded to talk to you,” Jemma says.

“We don’t have all the answers,” Daisy says, nodding along with Jemma. “We just had the beginning. And the more we talked about it, the more we realized we didn’t want to move forward without you.”

Jemma, who has still been leaning into her space ever since the kiss, leans even closer, and Bobbi wants to kiss every freckle on her cheeks.

“So whaddya say?”

Everything in Bobbi wants to say, “Let’s go for it,” but she needs one more answer first.

“Is this…” she looks back and forth between them, something she guesses she’d better get used to doing, “is this just a summer fling, or is this something you actually want to try?”

Daisy and Jemma look at each other and shrug. “Why don’t we answer that question next week?” Jemma suggests, looking a little wistful.

“This is what summers are for, after all,” Daisy says. “Making dreams come true, and then dreaming new dreams. One thing at a time though.”

For a long moment, the three of them just smile at each other, glowing in the setting sun, Bobbi’s not sure what’s supposed to happen next, but then realizes that if she’s allowed to participate now, she might as well do exactly what she wants.

Jemma’s lips are soft but her cheeks are softer, and she smiles and blushes beneath her freckles as Bobbi drops a spray of kisses across her cheeks. Daisy’s hair is as silky as it looks as she plunges her fingers into it, and Bobbi can still smell the afternoon’s sunscreen as she drags her nose across her brow before pulling her into another kiss.

The metal-and-plastic deck chairs aren’t very accommodating of these activities though, so after a minute, the three of them relocate to the bench swing at the edge of the deck, looking out over the beach. It really only makes sense for Bobbi to be in the middle, one arm over each girl’s shoulders, the two of them holding hands across her lap when they’re not taking turns feeding Bobbi or each other grapes while the sun sets and the moon rises. Bobbi rocks the bench gently with one bare foot against the deck rail, sighing contentedly and memorizing the moment.

“I’m really glad you’re here,” she whispers after a while. “I’m so glad we met.”

“Me too,” Daisy says, squeezing her gently with the arm across her stomach.

“So am I,” Jemma says, resting her cheek on Bobbi’s shoulder. “It was a close call, wasn’t it? We were almost strangers.”

Maybe this is just for a week, a summer fling that they all want right now but won’t keep forever. Maybe there could be something here, something worth running after and not letting get away from them. It’s definitely scary, to not have all the answers, to be in territory this uncharted. But for now, Bobbi is content to settle back into the chair with the two of them and watch the stars come out, offering a humble thank-you up to whatever power of destiny let their paths cross and become anything but strangers. It’s just a for a moment, but she asks if that same power can make it last.

She never wants this moment to end.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing for any poly ship so feel free to let me know if I've bungled anything


End file.
